


I'll Protect You

by eahuhse



Series: Unconditional Love [2]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Boyfriends, Comfort, Cute, Finch is a good bf, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gay, Injured Jack Kelly, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Medda is mom, its nice i promise, very gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24712048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eahuhse/pseuds/eahuhse
Summary: After Jack and Davey stop talking for two weeks, Crutchie relies on Finch for support. When Jack gets beaten up and Crutchie is devastated, Finch steps his game up.
Relationships: Crutchie & Jack Kelly, Crutchie/Finch (Newsies), David Jacobs/Jack Kelly (mentioned), Jack Kelly & Medda Larkin, crutchie & medda larkin
Series: Unconditional Love [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786630
Kudos: 30





	I'll Protect You

Everyone was worried when Jack and Davey seemingly stopped communicating. But the one who was most affected was Crutchie. He watched as every day, Jack would come out of his room for school and as soon as they got home he would lock himself back in. Medda brought him dinners to his room, and he would thank her before asking for more paints or canvas board, before once again locking himself away.

Crutchie worried, a lot. He chewed his lip constantly to try and keep calm, but the longer it went on for, the worse he felt. As he and Medda ate dinner quietly, his hands shook slightly as he tried to stab his fork into his food.

"What's wrong Charlie?"

"Just worried 'bout Jack. Nothin' else."

"It's alright to worry dear. I don't know what happened, but what I do know is that he will come out of it one day. He just needs time." Medda explained softly, and Crutchie nodded to himself before excusing himself from the table and making his way to his bedroom. He propped his crutch against his bed before laying down and pulling out his phone.

Without a second thought he dialed the first number on his contact list, holding the phone up to his ear. He waited as the line rang, hoping the other boy would pick up the phone.

"Crutchie? You okay?"

"Finch, I...I just need someone to talk to."

There was some rustling and noise on the other end of the phone, and Crutchie waited for a moment.

"Yeah, always here to talk. What's up?"

"Worried about Jack."

"Yeah," Finch muttered, "been a hot topic here too."

"I dunno what happened, but Medda says he jus' needs time."

Finch sighed, the sound making Crutchie's heart sink more. He hadn't meant to upset his friend.

"I guess. You doin' okay though? You ain't been so happy, anythin' I can do?"

Crutchie paused for a moment, thinking if there _was_ something his crush could do for him. He didn't want Finch to hang up, he really needed to hear the other boy's voice.

"Just talk...don' wanna feel alone."

"You ain't alone Charlie."

Crutchie froze at the use of his real name. No one really used it aside from Medda, but the way it fell from Finch's mouth just felt right.

"Thanks Finch. If yous gotta go then it's fine."

"No!" Finch answered quickly. "No, I just...you seem tired."

"I'm fine." Crutchie said, before laying back in his bed and feeling his eyes droop closed for a moment. "Hey Finch?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you come find me tomorrow at school?"

"Sure, you gonna sleep?"

"Yeah. G'night Finch."

\---

Finch made it a daily routine to find Crutchie in the morning before classes and making sure he was okay. As the tension continued to build between Jack and David, Finch made it his duty to take care of the younger boy.

The day that Jack, Race and Specs didn't show up for lunch, Finch took Crutchie aside from the group to comfort him. He was incredibly anxious, his hands shaking as he continuously chewed at his bottom lip. Finch brought his thumb up to Crutchie's mouth and gently pried his lip from his teeth, hugging the smaller boy as he shook.

_Now or never, get it together._

"Crutchie, I jus' wanted to say..."

"Yeah?" Crutchie muttered, not moving from where he was buried in Finch's chest.

"I, uh, I'm glad you let me help you."

_Idiot, just say you caught feelings for him._

"Oh, no problem."

"An' I just wanted to say that-"

Before Finch could continue, Specs came sprinting down the hall. Behind him Albert and Romeo were carrying a very bloody and bruised Jack. Finch tried to hide Crutchie's eyes, but the younger boy saw and gasped, his grip on Finch's shirt tightening.

"What happened?" Crutchie shouted as he followed them down the hall.

"Dunno," Specs explained, "Racer found 'im with Spot Conlon. Said he'd just found him there."

Finch raced after the others, staying next to Crutchie as they made it to the nurse's office. She took in Jack, closing off a curtain so the boys were left waiting just outside for news of their friend. Finch held Crutchie in a tight hug, while Romeo and Specs left to check up on Race and Spot.

As they sat there, Crutchie began to cry as he stayed in Finch's embrace. Without thinking, Finch pressed a light kiss to Crutchie's forehead to try and calm him down. The younger boy didn't blink, curling into Finch's touch and pressing closer to the older boy, who continued to pepper light kisses on the top of Crutchie's head and temples.

"Hey, Crutchie?" The smaller boy looked up at him. "I just was tryin' to say...I got it bad for ya."

Crutchie chuckled, surprising the older boy, seeing as there were still tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I got it real bad for you, for years."

Finch was shocked, but focused on consoling the smaller boy as a group of paramedics entered with a stretcher and were greeted by the nurse. She led them to Jack, and the boys caught a glimpse of him on the bed. He looked bad, blood running from a bad cut above his eye, bruises forming around his cheek and arms. The paramedics lifted him onto the stretcher and strapped him down. Crutchie stood up and Finch followed, both of them wordlessly following the paramedics out to the waiting ambulance.

"Sir, he's my brother." Crutchie said, his voice quivering as he watched them load Jack into the back of the vehicle.

"Stay here son, it'll be easier."

Finch put a hand on Crutchie's shoulder, pulling him back as they drove off with Jack.

"Call Ms. Medda. I'll drive you there, she can meet us."

Crutchie nodded to himself, tugging his phone from his pocket before handing it to Finch.

"Can you...please?"

Finch nodded and called the younger boy's foster mother, explaining everything before taking Crutchie to his car and driving off to the hospital. The entire drive he whispered reassurances to the smaller boy, squeezing his hand as they pulled into the hospital parking lot and made their way over to where Medda was climbing out of her own car.

The afternoon passed in a blur, but all Finch cared about was making sure Crutchie was okay. He held the boy in his lap for a long time, giving him small kisses of comfort. Until Medda eventually emerged from a meeting with a doctor who determined Jack would be okay. Medda invited Finch to stay the night, which he jumped on immediately, and followed her car to the apartment without a second thought.

\---

As Finch lay curled in bed with Crutchie, he let out a small sigh. Crutchie looked exhausted, but wouldn't sleep until all their friends were up to date on Jack's condition. Finch had been helping him spread the word, but the smaller boy insisted on doing it himself.

He pressed a light kiss to Crutchie's cheek, distracting the smaller boy who turned to look at him with wide eyes.

"What, somethin' wrong?"

"No...just...were you for real?"

Finch nodded, taking Crutchie's hands and pressing a kiss to each of his knuckles.

"Very for real."

"So what are we?" Crutchie asked softly, and Finch shrugged.

"Wanna be my boyfriend?"

"I'd love that." Crutchie smiled, and Finch gently pressed a kiss to Crutchie's lips, the smaller boy returning the action.

"Get some sleep, we have a long few days ahead."

"You gonne go?"

"Nah, I'm staying until everything's okay again."

Crutchie nodded and snuggled into Finch's side, and they fell asleep with their limbs tangled together with small smiles gracing their lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all, I've finished all the chapters for Test of Unconditional Love, but I'm gonna be posting more small side chapters like this one over time because I just like this story and AU a lot. More Newsies stuff to come, so let me know what you think!  
> -Em ;)


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